Ink fountain and ductor roll drive



Feb. 23, 1965 o. v. DUTRO ETAL INK FOUNTAIN AND DUCTOR ROLL DRIVE 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 9, 1962 IN VEN TORS, ORV/LLB 1- 01/7720SHERMAN l1. HEWJO/V Feb. 23, 1965 o. v. DUTRO ETAL 3,170,397

INK FOUNTAIN AND DUCTOR ROLL DRIVE Filed Oct. 9, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 II I INVENTORS, ORV/LLE K DUTRO SHERMAN H. #5 W50 3,170,397 INKli OUll'llAIN D DUCTOR ROLL DRIVE Orville V. Dutro, .5068 N. Commonwealth, andSherman lc-lflilewson, '640.Knight Way, both of La Canada,

' 1 Filed Oct. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 229,353

3 Claims. (Cl. 101 350) This invention relates to printing presses, andin pars ticular to ink fountain and'ductor roll drives for the same.

, An object'of this invention is to provide greater flexi bility inadjusting and maintaining ink transfer from an ink fountain to a ductorroller and thence to the distribution on printing presses than isavailable with presently known devices which have the same function. Arelated object is to obtain perfect contact of a ductor roller with afountain roller and with a vibrator roller, without the use ofmechanical interlinkages between the bearing sup ports which carrytheductor roller. i

A device according to this invention utilizes a 'ductor roller which ismovable to contactan intermittently actuable fountain roller and whichis movable to contact a vibrator roller. Means is provided for movingthe ductor roller alternatively into these positions of contact;

According to a feature of this inventionpmovement of the ductor rollerto contact the fountain roller, and simultaneous actuation of thefountain roller are caused by operation of a fluid pressure system, inresponse to timing means, the preferred embodiment of which is a cam.The timing means is operable .by two separate power sources.

A preferred but optional first source is the printing press.

. United States Patent O driven sprocket 31. This sprocket drives asecond overriding clutch 32, which in turn drives the cam shaft.

. and will thereby permit the cam shaft to slip past either clutch,should the cam shaft be turning faster than the i itself, connectedthrough a variable speed transmission so that the frequency of actuationof the ductor roller and the fountain roller are adjustable as afunctionof press speed. The other power source, is an'independentlyoperable variable speed motor. Each source is adapted to override theother, so that the timing device responds to the power source operatingat the higher rate of speed.

The above and other features of this invention will be fully understoodfrom the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings inwhich: s

FIG. Us a side elevation, partly in cutaway cross-section and partly inschematic notation, showinggthe presently preferred embodiment of theinvention; and

FIG. 2 is an elevation taken partly in crossssection at line 22 ofFIG. 1. s

The presently preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in FIG. l.it is attached to the frame wot a rotary offset printing press. A drivechain 11 brings power into the device of the invention from the printingpress drive. This power is applied to the input sprocket 12 of avariable speed transmission 13, preferably of the Zeromax. variety. Thistransmission and the press constitute a first power source. Thetransmission has the property of adjustably varying the speed ratio ofits output sprocket 14 relative to that of the input sprocket from Zero,that is complete stoppage, to some higher value.

Output chain 15 isengaged to a cam shaft drive sprocket 16, which drivesan overriding clutch 16a which in 'turn drives acam shaft 17. The cam"shaft-is supported by I bearings 18, 19 in bracket 2%). The bracket isattachedto the frame of the P ess. I

The details of the overriding clutches are not essential to thisinvention. They may be considered ratchets, whose directions of drive onthe shaft are in the-sa rne direction. Furthermore, they need not beattached to the cam shaft. They need only be disposed in theirrespective power train between the respective source and the cam shaft.Wherever they are disposed, they will permit the cam shaft to be drivenin one direction by them, but not in the other,

driven part of that clutch;

The cam shaft carries a butterfly cam 35 with two elements 36, 37 whichare spindled on the cam shaft and are held in adjusted positions by anadjustment plate 38 tightened down by cap screws 39. The. angular extentof thedwell section -illcan be adjusted by relative rotationalshiftingfofhcam elements; 36, 37, thereby to adjust the lengthof dwellof a cam follower 41 per revolution of the cam shaft.

The cam follower contacts both elements of the butterfly cam. The camfollower is pivoted by arm 42 to the bracket. The arm makes contact withstem 4310f a poppet valve 44. .The poppet valve is shown schematicallyin FIG. 1 as a three-way valve having pressure and exhaust connections45, 46, respectively. A line connection 47 is selectively joined by thepoppet stem to either pressure or exhaust. Aspring 48 biases the stemtoward the exhaust connection. Passages 49, 5%) in the stern make theselective connection. Contact of the cam follower with the cam moves thestem to the posiarrow 54, but can drive an ink fountain roller only in ithe direction shown by arrow 56. This unidirectional action isaccomplished by ratchet 57-whichis disposed be An independent drivemotor 25, 5f the electric, variable speed type, isrnounted' to bracket20. i It has a pair of leads 26, 27,,adaped to be connected to a sourceof elec trio potential, and to a switch 28 or other control for I vapplying power torunthe moton-and for'adjusting its speed." Motor 25constitutes a second power source.

' A motor output sprocket 29 receives torque from the motor throughgearing (not shown) and is engaged by a motor output chain 3th, whichinturn is engaged tomotortween the ratchet arm and-the fountain roller Asecond linear actuator 61 operates a swing arm 61 to which a ductorroller 62 is mounted. The second linear actuator can swing the ductorroller either into contact with the fountain roller as shown whenpressure is on in the supply line, or into contact with avibrator-roller 63 when the line connection and supply line areconnected to exhaust. a r

. Piston-cylinder assemblies may conveniently be used'for the linearactuators. The supply line is connected-tothe cylinders on one side ofthe piston in each. of them. A pressure accumulator 65 is connectedthrough accumulator 66 to the opposite sides of the pistons in saidactuators to shift the pistons to the left end of the respectivecylinder when the supply line is connected to exhaust.

Two each of linear actuators 52 and 6t) will be provided, one of eachforeach side of the-rollers. -A pair of swing arms is provided for theductor roller, one of t linear actuators as operating on each. j Bearingsupports for the vibrator roller, the fountain roller,jand the swingarms are provided in the side framesfof" the press (not shown).

through the pneumatic circuitry, therebyfavoiding any need for providingmechanical interlinkages such as cross Interconnection between the swingarms is ties to keep the ductor' roller propjerly aligned. The linearactuators will operate simultaneously because of their 7 common powersource, and thereby press the ductor roller against the vibrator orfountain: roller in full axial contact.

In operation, the printer may desire to set up an'initial rate of inktransfer from the fountain roller. This foun Patented Feb. 23, 1965 tainroller turns in an ink fountain (not shown) wherein its peripheralsurface passes through a bath of ink, and

past a ductor blade which determines the thickness of.

the ink film which will be contacted by the ductor roller. The initialrate can be set by actuating the independent motor to drive the camshaft. turning. The transmission or the clutch in the, transmissionenables the cam shaft to turn independently of the press. During thistime, the length of dwell of the cam followers can conveniently beadjusted by setting the cam elements relative to one another, and thedesired output speed of the variable transmission can be estimated. Thispermits ink adjustments to be made independently of press operation.

When thepress is'operated, the output speed of the transmission bay beset and the device will operate by driving of the cam shaft from outputchain 15. The independent motor is ofii. The second overriding clutchpermits rotation of the cam shaft independently of the motor.

A convenience inherent in the invention is that, should it be desired tostop the ink supply for some reason, but still to leave the press inoperation, the transmission may be set at zero, thereby stopping theoperation of the ink fountain drive assembly. In addition, this featureenables the dwell period of the cam to be adjusted at the same time,because with the press still running, and the transmission ratio atzero, the'cam is still, and the screws can be loosened, the cam elementsrotated relative to each other as desired, and the screws retightened.Adjustment of all major controls can therefore be made while the pressis in operation.

Should the device he .in steady press-driven operation,

and an additional amount of ink desired for a short time,.

' takeover and transfer additional ink.

When a cam dwell portion depresses the cam follower, the poppet valve isshifted to admit'pressure to the supply line, thereby simultaneouslyactuating all linear actuators. The ductor roller is swung into contactwith the fountain roller and is turned by the fountain roller as thelatter turns. This transfers ink to the ductor roller which the fountainroller brought from the fountain. Movement will continue for the lengthof time established by the dwell period of the cam follower. The strokeavailable for the linear actuator 51 will be sufiicient to providemotion for the entire period of dwell provided by the butterfly cam.

When the dwell portion departs from the cam follower, the supply line isconnected to exhaust, and the linear actuators will retract under theaccumulator pressure. The ductor roller thus is swung into contact withthe vibrator roller. This cycling action continues so long as the camshaft turns to pulse the poppet valve. course, timing means other than acam shaft can be used to pulse the poppet valve. Solenoid valves pulsedby electric signals comprise another example. The essence of theinvention resides in the pulsing action powered by two alternate sourceseach capable of overriding the other, rather than in any particularconstruction ofthese elements. However, the construction shown isinexpen- The press need not be I [t sive, rugged, easily serviced, andin general ideally suited for the trade which will use it. Its elementsare mechan-f ically simple and readily understood, while electrical andelectronic devices do involve service and operational difficulties towhich this construction is not susceptible.

This invention thereby provides means for adjusting and maintaining theoperation of ink fountain drives independently of press operation, andfor closely adjusting the fountain drive during press operation. g

In addition, the preferred embodiment of the invention, because of itsfluid-actuated mechanisms, is able to dispense with heavy shafts and thelike for suspending the ductor roller and keeping its axis aligned,because the actuators accomplish this automatically. The complexity andexpense of the machine is thereby greatly reduced.

This invention is not to be limited by the embodiment shown in thedrawings and described in the description which is given by way ofexample and not of limitation, but only in accordance with the scope ofthe appended claims.

We claim: v t

1. In combination: a fountain roller, a vibrator roller; a ductorroller; and an ink fountain drive comprising a cam shaft, a cam carriedand driven by said shaft, unidirectional drive means driving thefountain roller, a first fluid-powered actuator for intermittentlydriving said uni directional drive means, mounting means mounting theductor roller for swinging movement between a first position wherein itcontacts and rotates with the fountain roller, and a second positionwhere it contacts the vibrator roller, a second fluid-powered actuatorfor moving the mounting means to move the ductor roller to each of thesaid two positions, fluid-valving means responsive to the cam adapted tosimultaneously actuate and deactuate the actuators, the actuatorscomprising piston-cylinder assemblies, and the fluid-valving means beingconnected to all of said assem blies to actuate them simultaneously, afirst and a second power source, both power sources being connected tothe cam shaft to actuate the same in the same direction, and eachadapted to be overridden by the other power source, whereby the camshaft may be driven by either of said power sources independently of theother, and the frequency of actuation of the cam and thereby the valvingmeans and actuators being determinable by either of said power sources,and a source of static pressure connected to the actuators opposed tothe fluidvalving means to bias the mounting means toward one of saidpositions, pressure from the fluid-valving means overcoming such staticpressure to move the mounting means to the other of said positions.

2. A combination according to claim 1 in which the fiuid-valving meansis a three-way poppet valve actuable by the cam.

3. A combination according to claim 2 in which the second power sourceis an independently operable, adjustable speed motor.

Referenccs Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Moseret a1. Dec. 19, 1961

1. IN COMBINATION: A FOUNTAIN ROLLER, A VIBRATOR ROLLER, A DUCTORROLLER; AND AN INK FOUNTAIN DRIVE COMPRISING A CAM SHAFT, A CAM CARRIEDAND DRIVEN BY SAID SHAFT, UNIDIRECTIONAL DRIVE MEANS DRIVING THEFOUNTAIN ROLLER, A FIRST FLUID-POWERED ACTUATOR FOR INTERMITTENTLYDRIVING SAID UNIDIRECTIONAL DRIVE MEANS, MOUNTING MEANS MOUNTING THEDUCTOR ROLLER FOR SWINGING MOVEMENT BETWEEN A FIRST POSITION WHEREIN ITCONTACTS AND ROTATES WITH THE FOUNTAIN ROLLER, AND A SECOND POSITIONWHERE IT CONTACTS THE VIBRATOR ROLLER, A SECOND FLUID-POWERED ACTUATORFOR MOVING THE MOUNTING MEANS TO MOVE THE DUCTOR ROLLER TO EACH OF THESAID TWO POSITIONS, FLUID-VALVING MEANS RESPONSIVE TO THE CAM ADAPTED TOSIMULTANEOUSLY ACTUATE AND DEACTUATE THE ACTUATORS, THE ACTUATORSCOMPRISING PISTON-CYLINDER ASSEMBLIES, AND THE FLUID-VALVING MEANS BEINGCONNECTED TO ALL OF SAID ASSEMBLIES TO ACTUATE THEM SIMULTANEOUSLY, AFIRST AND A SECOND POWER SOURCE, BOTH POWER SOURCES BEING CONNECTED TOTHE CAM SHAFT TO ACTUATE THE SAME IN THE SAME DIRECTION, AND EACHADAPTED TO BE OVERRIDDEN BY THE OTHER POWER SOURCE, WHEREBY THE CAMSHAFT MAY BE DRIVEN BY EITHER OF SAID POWER SOURCES INDEPENDENTLY OF THEOTHER, AND THE FREQUENCY OF ACTUATION OF THE CAM AND THEREBY THE VALVINGMEANS AND ACTUATORS BEING DETERMINABLE BY EITHER OF SAID POWER SOURCES,AND A SOURCE OF STATIC PRESSURE CONNECTED TO THE ACTUATORS OPPOSED TOTHE FLUIDVALVING MEANS TO BIAS THE MOUNTING MEANS TOWARD ONE OF SAIDPOSITIONS, PRESSURE FROM THE FLUID-VALVING MEANS OVERCOMING SUCH STATICPRESSURE TO MOVE THE MOUNTING MEANS TO THE OTHER OF SAID POSITIONS.